Michael B. Jordan on Doing Comedy: ‘I Was Tired of Dying’

Focus Features’ latest movie, “That Awkward Moment,” looks to shed some light on the male perspective of relationships. At the Jan. 27 premiere at L.A. Live, writer and director Tom Gormican wanted to set the record straight.

“I think [the male perspective] is underrepresented,” Gormican said. “What I hope the movie gets across is that guys and girls deal with relationship scenarios in very much the same way.”

Stars Michael B. Jordan and Miles Teller, fresh off Sundance indie dramas “Fruitvale Station” and “Whiplash,” were excited to give comedy a go after heavy dramas.

“I was tired of dying,” Jordan joked about his transition into the lighthearted comedy. “I was doing a lot of dramas, and I wanted to switch things up a little bit, and this was the opportunity to do it.”

“I’m lucky enough to where I do have an appetite for both and people want to cast me in both,” Teller said. “I just love both. It’s like my own appetite. If I do one thing too much I have to switch it up.”

25-year old Treehouse Pictures producerJustin Nappi received the script for the movie three years ago. After working on “At Any Price” with Efron, he thought Efron could relate to “That Awkward Moment.” While at the Cannes Film Festival (where Efron was premiering “Paperboy), Nappi sought him out.

“I had a mission in Cannes to get Zac to read this script because I really thought ‘I’m in my twenties, Zac’s in his twenties.’ This film has a lot to do with kind of us growing up.’”

Efron and his costars have been on a whirlwind promotional tour, with a premiere last week in New York and a stop in Miami. Efron posed for photos on the carpet, but opted to go home and sleep off a flu instead of hitting the after-party.

Guests at the premiere included Efron’s “High School Musical” costar Ashley Tisdale, her fiancé Christopher French, Topher Grace and Tia Mowry. Guests at the Lucky Strike after-party mingled, bowled and let loose. Jordan brought his parents to the party while Teller was seen taking pictures with his grandmother.